Hmm, I thought about this a bit today as I was out and about and as I was walking home just now. Makes me think of a particular Preacher. I think he is right and I think his words are applicable to your questions. I will put them below along with some words of my own.
I heard the cardinals sing, and I wondered for what do they sing? For what does the male cardinal in red coat sing for? Does he not sing for the females and they sing back to him? It is for vanity, it has no purpose outside of himself. I saw the squirrels running to and fro and I thought, for what reason does he run to and fro for? He does it for vanity, there is no purpose outside of himself. I saw a multitude of people coming and going in their cars and I wondered for what reason are they in such haste driving up and down the roads and going to their places? It is all for their vanities, there is no purpose outside of themselves. I saw a child, even a little girl child riding her tricycle down the sidewalk and I thought, for what purpose does the girl child ride her tricycle down the street? It is all for vanity, there is no purpose for it outside of herself. I thought to myself, why do I keep walking, why do I do such menial work with my hands, why do I keep thinking, and wading around the shallows and deep ends of wisdom in my mind? It is my vanity, there is no purpose for it outside of myself.
Ecclesiastes 1
1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
[SUP]3 [/SUP]What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
[SUP]4 [/SUP]One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
[SUP]9 [/SUP]The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
[SUP]14 [/SUP]I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.